Spot and Dot - A Strategy for Building Vocabulary and Comprehension

Spot and Dot is a reading "fix up" strategy that helps readers decode multisyllable words. This strategy not only helps build vocabulary, it also builds comprehension because it shows students that they are able to read more words than they think once they are able to break them into syllables and recognize them as words already in their oral vocabulary. The strategy is very simple; it consists of the following steps:

1. “Spot and dot” the vowels
2. Connect the dots
3. Look at the number of consonants between the vowels
4. If 3 or 4 – break after the first consonant
5. If 2 – break between the consonants
6. If 1 – break before the consonant, if it doesn’t sound right, move over one letter
7. If 2 vowels break between vowels

Click here for a Word document with a Student Handout for the Spot and Dot Strategy With Examples: Spot and Dot.doc

Click on the links below for resources related to Spot and Dot:

• Breaking Words Apart Using Spot and Dot Syllabication Strategy and CLOVER Syllable Patterns Strategy
• Reading Strategy - Spot and Dot
• Spot and Dot Lesson Plan in 3 Parts
• Spot and Dot Three Syllables

Videos and Multi-Media Using the Spot and Dot Strategy

Click on the links below to view videos that demonstrate the Spot and Dot strategy:

• Spot and Dot Decoding Strategy (You Tube video)
• Spot and Dot Strategy (PowerPoint Show from Washington Elementary School, Huron, SD)
• Spot and Dot with One Consonant (You Tube video)
• Spot and Dot with Two Consonants (You Tube video)
• Spot and Dot with Three Consonants (You Tube video)
• Spot and Dot with Three Syllables (You Tube video)